Journeys by hiking, running, cycling and touring
The group had by now broken up, Paul and Jim heading north to Paul's house, Phil and Sarah heading home to the Far North and the arctic wastes of Bristol. Cath too was heading home, but as her chauffeur I proposed a walk that would fit in with the run to Exeter. We headed off … Continue reading Another New Year on Dartmoor – Part 4: Blackslade Down
The New Year started with a massive dilemma - with the Fox Tor Cafe not opening until 11, it was pushing it to have a proper breakfast and get a walk in. Neatly solved by Phil and Sarah providing bacon sandwiches. General lethargy, though, meant it was still after midday that we finally got going … Continue reading Another New Year on Dartmoor – Part 3: Familiar Ground
No day's walking on Dartmoor is complete without a visit to the Fox Tor Cafe, and especially so when you're staying next door. Being on winter opening hours, it didn't open until 10am and Cath and I were first in the queue at the front door for when it opened. Looking through the window we … Continue reading Another New Year on Dartmoor – Part 2: The Far West
The New Year walking trip has now been going since the 2013/14 trip to the Lakes (so the rule says it's now a tradition), but after that first midwinter foray north, each one has seen me head to Dartmoor. The combination of socialising and easy walks whatever the weather seems to fit the festive lethargy … Continue reading Another New Year on Dartmoor – Part 1: Butterdon Hill and Uppacott Down
I had an email today from the marketing department at Trespass telling me I've been shortlisted in the Hiking/Walking of their 2016 Blog Awards. Now I know some people can be a bit scathing about these things, and the chances of me winning are slim anyway - whenever I've been nominated before for something like … Continue reading Recognition
Stood at the sink washing up one night in September last year, it suddenly occurred to me to add up the number of camps both I and my daughter, Rebecca, had done so far that year (I think of a lot of odd stuff like that while washing up). I realised with all of the … Continue reading The Great Camping Challenge 2016
I was having a sort out the other day and came across some interesting bits of paper... Somehow I've managed to keep hold of the walk directions from two annual sponsored walks I did when I was at school. They're around 30 years old. Just for fun I thought it would be interesting to try … Continue reading Resurrecting Some Old Walks
After a couple of weeks in which preparing for and holding my first art show proved to be pretty much all-consuming, I was keen to get out into the landscape again, and to do so before winter started to rear its ugly head. By which I mean not the winter of crisp days on snow-covered … Continue reading Above the Clouds
I've already told the story of the actual walk, but also wanted to wrap up some comments on the planning for the trip and some general thoughts on the walk and route themselves. So here goes... Firstly, my account of the walk (I'll add Paul's in due course when and if he gets around to … Continue reading A Different Coast to Coast – Devon
Ivybridge to Wembury: 15 miles, 1 day The half day did us both good in topping up the tanks ready for the final stretch of the walk. I don't think either of us had particularly high hopes for this final day's walk, but personally I can pretty much steel myself for anything with the knowledge … Continue reading A Different Coast to Coast – Part 4: The Bottom Bit
Drewsteignton to Ivybridge - 38 miles, 2½ days Paul's feet seemed to have got a second wind, and he was back in the lead as we climbed up out of Drewsteignton onto the Castle Drogo estate. Familiar territory now, and I'd visited all of these tors earlier in the year, so it wasn't a long … Continue reading A Different Coast to Coast – Part 3: Dartmoor
Knowstone to Drewsteignton, 29 miles, 2 days As is always the case on a long distance walk, a night spent in a proper bed and the body filled with a proper breakfast gives you a bit of a spring in your step. And so it was as we started out for day 3, tempered only … Continue reading A Different Coast to Coast – Part 2: The Middle Bit
Lynmouth to Knowstone - 27 miles, 2 days The rain started just as we got to Lynmouth, banishing the hopes that had arisen that the forecast didn't seem to be playing out. We stepped onto the beach to take the obligatory start photo and then turned our faces southward and into the rain. Before we … Continue reading A Different Coast to Coast – Part 1: Exmoor
Apart from a forlorn-looking ice cream van (why are the damn things always there when you don't need them and never there when you do ?!) and a couple of cars dropping off kids on the school run, Ilam was deserted as Stuart parked up and we put on our packs. A short walk across … Continue reading The White Peak Journey
I really should have been on the Cambrian Way, but I just didn't fancy it. For once I wanted to do something I wanted to do. It's been 6 years since a truly memorable trip to Eskdale, and a couple of years since a less successful one - I was itching to retread some of … Continue reading The Eskdale Escapade